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Lyon 2-2 Man United: Andre Onana’s war of words come back to bite after double howler in Europa League quarter-final clash
Manchester United continued their unbeaten streak in the Europa League when they were held to a 2-2 stalemate in Lyon in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Thursday.
The game was evenly matched for the most part, with both sides struggling to forge many clear chances. The openings then came like London buses, with Ruben Amorim’s side taking 79 minutes to create a big chance, then generating two in a row.
Both Lyon and Man United went blow for blow late on, with the hosts snatching a last-gasp leveller.
Rasmus Hojlund came close to adding to his Europa League account when he missed a huge chance in the 18th minute. Man United’s top scorer in the competition (five) bobbled a shot wide from about 12 yards out after Patrick Dorgu played a perfectly weighted pass across the box.
Hojlund certainly looked like a man who has only scored once for his club since December. The Dane’s 42.86% shooting accuracy this season ranks a woeful 106th in the Premier League. And tonight, he managed just 11 touches, two shots and two passes completed before being hooked for Josha Zirkzee in the 63rd minute.
Prior to the game, goalkeeper Andre Onana and ex-Man United player Nemanja Matic went tit for tat in a verbal feud, where the latter labelled the Red Devils shot-stopper “one of the worst goalkeepers” in the club’s history.
And as the script goes, it was a blush-making mistake from Onana which led to Lyon’s opening goal. Thiago Almada curled a cross in from a free-kick which evaded its targets before Onana misjudged it abysmally and let it bounce past him.
Onana’s blunder marked his eighth error leading to a goal since the start of last season; no goalkeeper has made more for Premier League clubs in all competitions than the Cameroonian.
Not to mention, Onana has the worst clean sheet percentage and the second-worst save percentage of any Man United goalkeeper to have played 900+ minutes since 2003-04.
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Man United looked to be heading into the dressing room chasing a lead at half-time until Leny Yoro netted his debut goal for the club in the fifth minute of added time. At 19 years and four months old, the Frenchman became the youngest defender to score a European goal for the Red Devils.
As the saying goes, a goal’s a goal. But Yoro’s leveller was the personification of the maxim. Amorim could not in any capacity claim it was the product of his team’s training ground efforts.
Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick was punched away by Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri into the path of Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan fired an opportunistic volley towards goal which was helped in by a header from Yoro.
Just as Man United looked comfortable to see out a 1-1 draw and head to Old Trafford with the tie up for grabs, Fernandes and Zirkzee wanted more. The Dutchman found himself on the end of a cross from his captain and was able to head home. The assist was Fernandes’ 34th goal contribution in 47 games this season.
However, in poetic fashion, Onana’s pre-game war of words came back to bite him late on. In the 95th minute, the keeper saved a shot from Georges Mikautadze, but failed to properly deal with the danger. The ball was parried into the path of Rayan Cherki, who slotted home on the rebound to make it 2-2.
Bring on the return tie – same time next week. Man United fans will just have to hope Onana keeps it zipped for the next seven days, though. Next Thursday’s result will tee up a semi-final clash against Rangers or Atletic Bilbao.
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